"Learned the sinker from Wheeler and the changeup from Sanchez": Why KBO's Top Prospect Park Chan-min Headed to the U.S. [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Chan-min (18), the right-handed ace of Gwangju Ilgo High School, who was hailed as the top high school prospect of the year, has set his sights on a challenge in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Park Chan-min told StarNews in a recent interview at Gwangju Ilgo High School, "Philadelphia met everything I wanted. It wasn't just about the financial aspect; they also cared about how to manage my body and how to foster my growth going forward. I was most drawn to their system that looks at and manages players over the long term," explaining his reason for heading straight to the U.S.

On May 24 last month, the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League East officially announced they had signed South Korean right-handed prospect Park Chan-min to an international amateur free agent contract. The signing bonus was $1.205 million (approximately 1.8 billion won). To secure the signing bonus limit for international amateur contracts, the Phillies held off on signing a Taiwanese prospect and traded two minor league players.

He was also recognized by domestic and international scouts as the player who has shown the best performance to date this year. According to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA), the robust 191cm, 94kg frame produces a fastball clocked at a top speed of 151 km/h, and he effectively utilizes a slider, curveball, and changeup.

This is the first time in a while that a major talent has emerged from the Jeolla region since Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers). Had he stayed in Korea, he could have competed for the first overall pick in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, scheduled for September this year.

KBO scout A praised Park Chan-min, saying, "Park Chan-min is a pitcher with high growth potential. He has a great sense of control, making him suitable for both starting and relief roles. Because of his good feel, he handles his fastball, slider, and curveball well."

Another MLB scout B also explained, "Park Chan-min is a player with excellent physical attributes and high development potential. His slider is his primary weapon, but his changeup and curveball are also good. Since he has good control, he manages games well. We believe his control and velocity are both superior to Ha Hyun-seung (18, Busan High School)."

Despite intense interest from numerous KBO teams, Park Chan-min chose to head straight to the U.S. rather than stay in Korea. Among the high school prospects who recently went to the U.S., there have already been cases of players returning to Korea, and the success rate for players who challenge the U.S. stage immediately after high school graduation remains low. However, Park Chan-min was moved by Philadelphia's long-term blueprint for his future.

Park Chan-min said, "Until last winter, I thought I would go to the KBO League. But as the season progressed, Philadelphia actively expressed their desire for me. I didn't hesitate for long. They treated me very well, and I thought, if they want me this much, I should take the challenge."

His dream of becoming a baseball player while watching MLB since childhood also played a role. Park Chan-min, who started playing baseball in the first grade of elementary school following his father, who played in a social baseball league, first noticed Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers) on TV.

Park Chan-min smiled and said, "I've liked Ohtani since I was young. I started watching him in 2016, and I remember that when Ohtani first went to the U.S., he wasn't doing well in both pitching and hitting, but I liked him even then. As a pitcher, I wanted to emulate everything about him, and above all, I wanted to emulate his character mentally because he is a player with good integrity."

When he visited Philadelphia in person, his initial skepticism turned into certainty. On the day of Park Chan-min's signing, MLB players including Jack Wheeler (36), Aaron Nola (33), and Christopher Sanchez (30) did not hesitate to personally welcome him and offer advice. Wheeler is an All-Star pitcher who finished second in Cy Young voting twice, and Nola is a Philadelphia franchise star. Sanchez was the runner-up for the Cy Young Award last year and recorded five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Park Chan-min shared, "I even went to the Philadelphia locker room, and all the pitchers welcomed me. They all considered me a junior and tried to teach me anything they could. Sanchez told me that he also came to the U.S. when he was young and encouraged me, saying I can do it too, while teaching me the changeup."

He added, "Nola taught me how to manage my body. I used to like the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers when I watched MLB, but now I like Philadelphia."

Even brief advice revealed that the training methods and details were exceptional. Park Chan-min recalled, "I learned the sinker from Wheeler and asked about his concerns regarding pitching balance. Doesn't a starting pitcher have a five-day turn? Wheeler told me to decide what I want to improve each time and keep trying. Also, coincidentally, that day was the day Wheeler was doing bullpen pitching. His control was so good that I asked him about his method."

He continued, "Wheeler said he learned a lot from Jacob deGrom during his Mets days. DeGrom said that every time he warms up, he throws 10 pitches to the outside corner before starting. It's an incredibly difficult spot to hit, but he always throws 10 first. He said he only starts practicing other breaking balls once those land well."

Philadelphia's Park Chan-min project has already begun. For the time being, Park Chan-min will not throw a ball, instead shuttling between Korea and the U.S. to focus on complete recovery and physical growth. Philadelphia is supporting all necessary flights for this process. They have already arranged housing for him to stay with other prospects and interpreters to help him adapt. Kim Sun-bin (18), a catcher and his partner, also felt reassured. Kim Sun-bin cheered, "(Park) Chan-min is something to be proud of. It might be lonely and difficult when you go, but you have to overcome it to succeed."

Responding with "I will do my best," Park Chan-min stated his ambitious plans: "Philadelphia has decided everything from my diet to how I should train in both Korea and the U.S. I am also learning English. They say there are no cases of high school graduates going to the U.S. and succeeding yet, but I want to show that success is possible and that there is another path."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.